Farm-tractor



J. E. MEYER.

FARM TRACTOR.

APPLICATION FILED muzz. ma. RENEWED act. 21. ms.

amnma June 15, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

v r r \Hff-or v N m i v n l a uJ I. E. MEYER.

FARM TRACTOR.

APPLICATION FILED IMLZZ, ma. RENEWED act. 21. 1919.

1,343,464 Patentad June 15, 1920.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

J. E. MEYER.

FARM TRACTOR.

APPLICATION FILED umzz. ms. RENEWED OCT. 21. ms.

Patented June 15, 1920.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

Wfarneys PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN EDWARD MEYER, 0F SHEPHERD, MICHIGAN.

FARM-TRACTOR.

1.343Ali-1.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 22, 1918, Serial No. 213,175. Renewed October 27, 1919. Serial No. 333,689.

To all whom it may concern:

lle it known that I, JonN E. Marne, a citizen of the United States, residing at Shepherd, in the county of Isabella and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in harm- T ractors; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as wlll enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in farm tractors and the primary object of the invention 15 to provide a self propelled vehicle of this character which is simple, light, durable and of comparatively inexpensive construction.

A further object of the invention is to provide a tractor which will possess only a minimum amount of friction and 111 which the traction wheels are so constructedthat they will pass freely over comparatively soft ground without the expenditure and utilization of excessive horse power.

A still further object of the invention is to arrange the radiator of the vehicle engine over the rear traction wheel so that the latter in revolving will create a forced draft against the radiator to prevent it from becoming over heated and at the same time maintain the proper temperature to the water circulation therethrough, the radiator also serving as a mud guard.

\Vith these and other objects in view as will appear as the description proceeds, the invention comprises the various novel features of construction, combination and arrangement of parts as will be more fully described hereinafter and afterward specifically claimed.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 represents a side elevation of my improved construction of tractor.

Fig. 2 represents a plan view of the machine, and

Fig. 3 represents a vert1cal transverse sectional view taken on a plane indicated by the line 3-3 on Fig. 2.

Similar characters of reference are used to denote corresponding parts throughout the accompanying drawings andfollowmg description.

In order that the construction and op eration of the invention may be readily com prehendcd, I have illustrated the preferred embodiment thereof in the accompanying drawings, and will now proceed to describe the same in connection with said drawings, in which 1 indicates the main frame of the tractor which is substantially rectangular, the rear end being semi-circular as indicated by 2. while the forward end of the frame is substantially V-shaped as indicated by 3. v Brace bars or beams 4 are arranged transversely of the main frame at suitable points to provide a rigid frame. While it is desirable to preferably construct the main frame out of angle iron as shown, it is of course to be understood that the same may be constructed of other suitable material.

Front and rear tractor wheels 5 and 6 are used to support the main frame and are mounted on axles T and 8, the former being journaled in suitable bearings 9 carried by an angle iron ring 10, while the latter is journaled in suitable bearings 11 mounted on the main frame.

The front tractor wheel is comparativel narrower than the rear wheel and is preferably constructed of a pair of angle iron rims 12, which are provided with a plurality of spokes 13 that are suitably connected to the hub 14 and have their ends extended transversely across and secured to the rims. Angle iron cleats 15 are used to connect the rims 12 and form an open tread wheel.

16 indicates an angle iron ring that is rigidly secured within the converging front end of the main frame and attaclied to the outer circumference of the rin 16 are flanged anti-friction rollers 17. is shown, the ring 10 is supported on the axle 7 and is rotatably mounted within the ring 16. so that the upper circumferential edge of the former will bear against the anti-friction rollers and the flanges 18 of the rollers will rest or bear on the upper peri heral surface of the rotatable ring 10. bus the antifriction rollers 18 will not only suppo t the front end of the main frame on the rotatable ring 10 but will serve to hold the ring 10 in proper position and reduce the friction between the rings 10 and 16 to a minimum.

The machine is designed to be steered by the front tractor wheel through the medium of a steering wheel 19 arranged in front of the drivers seat 20 and is attached to a steering rod 21 journaled in suitable bearlugs 22. A pulley 23 is rigidly attached to the forward end of the steering rod 21 and Patented June 15, 1920. i

has the terminal ends of a pull cable 24 coiled in opposite directions once around it and securely fastened thereto. This pull cable 24 is trained around idler pulleys 25 journaled in suitable brackets on op osite sides of the machine. 26 indicates a c amping member rigidly attached to the lower stretch of the inn cable and is connected to the rotatable rmg 10 by a link 27. By turning the steering wheel 19 it will be apparent that the front wheel 5 may be steere to the right or left as desired and thus properly guide the vehicle.

The rear traction wheel 6 is substantially the width of the main frame and comprises flat rims 28 and 28, the former provided with suitable spokes 29 and are connected by transversely extending angle iron bars 30, which have their outer ends arcuately curved opposite to the direction of travel of the machine whereby they will grip the ground in a more effective manner as the machine travels over it. The intermediate rim serves as a brace and support for the intermediate portions of the bars 30.

A sprocket wheel 31 is connected by a chain 32 to a spur gear 33 mounted on .the end of the drive shaft 34 which is arranged transversely of the main frame and is mounted in suitable bearings thereon.

The tractor is designed to be propelled through the medium of a suitable hydrocarbon motor 35 conveniently supported on the main frame. 35 indicates a spring actuated self starter attached to the engine crank shaft and 35 indicates the engine crank handle whereby the engine may be cranked should the starter fail to work. In this instance the motor is of a water cooled type and has a water coolin system consisting of a radiator 36 suita ly connected to the engine by conveyer pipes 37. By reference to Fig. 1 it will be seen that the radiator is substantially semicircular in cross section and is arranged over the rear wheel 6 in close proximity thereto so that the air radiated by the rotation of the wheel will strike a ainst the radiator and thus serve to effectively cool the water in its passage through the radiator. The lower end edges of the radiator are connected together by a conveyer pipe 40. By this construction the water is permitted to circulate from the engine throu h the 11 per pipe 37, into the top of the ra iator, w ere it is divided so as to pass in substantially equal parts in opposite direction down through the radiator and thus through the lower conveyer pipes 40 and 37 back to the motor. It is also to be noted that the radiator is conveniently supported on the cross members 4 by brackets 41. 42 represents a filler opening or funnel neck for the radiator.

The crank or power shaft 43 of the engine is provided with a pulley 44 which is connected by a belt 45 to a pulley 46 on the driving shaft 47, which is provided with a driving pulley for the transmission of the engine power. In order that the engine may be thrown into and out of ear with the driving shaft 47, I have rovi ed a belt tightener pulley 48 carried y one end of a foot lever 49 pivotally mounted intermediate its ends as at 50. The other end of the lever is intended to be operated by the foot of the vehicle operator and is adapted to coiiperate with a toothed catch bar 51 which serves to hold the pulley 48 in operative enga ement with the belt 45, thus causing the s aft 47 to rotate simultaneously with 'the power shaft. By releasing the foot lever 49, the belt 45 will simply idle thus disconnecting shaft 47.

A sliding sleeve 52 is mounted on the shaft 47 and carries a reverse gear 53, a low s eed gear 54, and a high s eed gear 55.

his gear sleeve 52 is adapted to be shifted through the mediumof a shifter arm 56 rigidly connected to a rack bar 57 at one end and at the other enga ing a collar 58 on the sleeve 52. The rac bar 57 is slidably mounted transversely of the main frame in bearings 59 and has a pinion 60 meshing with it carried la the lower end of a gear shift post 61. e upper end of the post 61 is provided with a hand wheel 62 and an indicator 63, which latter is adapted to cooperate with a dial 64 that carries marked graduations which indicate the position of the transmission gears.

Mounted intermediate the driving shaft 47 and the drive shaft 34 is a jack shaft 65 which carries a gear 66 adapted to mesh with the reverse gear 53, and a smaller ear 67 meshing with a bull gear 68 earrie by the shaft 34. A gpar 69 is also rigidly attached on the she 34 and is adapted to be driven through the medium of the high speed gear 55, while the ar 68 is adapted to be driven forwardly y the low speed gear 54.

When it is desired to propel the machine forwardly, the gear shaft wheel 62 is rotated, the rack bar 57 moved transversely of the frame, the low speed gear 54 in turn thrown into gear with the ear 68 after which it is thrown out and t e high speed gear 55 thrown in with the gear 69.

When it is desired to reverse the machine the high and low speed gears are thrown out of ear and the gears 53 and 66 thrown in.

if pulley 70 is carried by a clevis 71 and is arranged to rotate against the inside circumference of the semi-circular end of the main frame, and a suitable draft chain may be hitched to this clevis whereby any desirable farm implement may be drawn over the ground. By making the rear end of the main frame semi-circular, the pulley and the power from the clevis may be moved circumferentially thereof to facilitate ease in turning of the machine with a load attached to it.

Having described my invention, claim, is:

1. A tractor having a traction wheel, an engine, and a radiator for cooling the en ine mounted adjacent to said wheel, said wheel being provided with means for fanning air against said radiator to cool same.

2. A tractor having a traction wheel, an engine, and a radiator curved to conform to and being disposed adjacent to the periphery of said Wheel, the peripher of said wheel having means to engage tie ground and also fan air against said radiator.

3. In a self propelled tractor, a main frame, traction wheels supporting said main frame, a hydro-carbon engine mounted on said frame, a radiator mounted over one of what I said traction wheels, and conveyer pipes connecting said radiator with said engine, said radiator adapted to be cooled by the rotation of said traction wheels.

4. In a self propelled tractor, a main frame, traction wheels supporting said frame, a semi-circular radiator arranged over and ('oncentrical of one of said traction wheels and adapted to be cooled by the rotation of said traction wheel, and fluid (-onieyer pipes connecting theradiator with said engine.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JASON M. STRUBLE, HARRY COOMER. 

